Motor-controller.



T. E. BARNUM MOTOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1909. 991,190, Patented May 2,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIIIIIIIHIIIIT;

T. E, BARNUM. MOTOR CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1909.

N 9 1 2 W M d .w m a P U G 9 11 9 1i 9 9 wig g W .its preferred form. stood, however, that my invention is not Unitarian s resses THOMAS E. BARNUIVI, F MILVJAUKEE, "WISCdNSIN, ASSIGNOB TO THE (BUTLER-- HAT/ NEE MFG. (30., OF ZWIILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORBORA'IION OF WIS- oensrii.

semen.

To all whom it mayconcem:

- Be it known that I, THOMAS E. BARNUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of l dilwaukee and State of i Visconsin, have invented new and useful imprmrements in liltotor-Controllers, of which the following-is a 'full, clear, concise, and exact description reference being had to' the accompanying drawing, forminga part of this specification.

lily invention relates to improvements in controllers for electric motors. My invention contemplates the use in conjunction with a suitable starting device :tdr the motor of one or more circuit breakers for connecting the motor to the supply circuit in lieu of theusuarl main line switch.

The use of circuit breakers for this purpose obviates the necessity of providing protecting fuses in the motor circuit. While fuses are capable of fully protecting the motor, yet the same are more or less troublesome and quite expensive to replace when burned out, and, therefore, the. advantages derived from. the use of circuit breakers is obvious inasmuch as when the same are tripped, they merely have to be I'GSGt-u iln practice 1. prefer to employ aplurality of single polecircuit breakers, one con nected to each of the supply lines. Further-- more, 1 preferably provide an interlock be-.,

tween the starting device and at. least one of the circuit breakers to prevent operation of the starting device until such circuit breaker has been set. One of the main advantages of connecting a separate circuit breaker to each supply line is that it insures full protection of the motor regardless of whether 'the overload occurs upon both sides of the same or ust on one side.

- For the purpose of more clearly disclos- "ing the characteristic features and advantages 0t my invention, 1 shall describe the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which embodies my invention in It should be U11l0T- limited to the particular device shown, but

is susceptible ot-various modifications,

in, the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device; Fi

and 3 are detailed views of parts'bt thestarting device; Fig. l 1s a side elevation of one of the circuit breakers, the trippingmechanism thereof being shown in dotted Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26, 1909.

IKUTOR-CCNTRULL'ER.

Serial No. 51%,676.

lines; and Fig. illustrates diagrammatically one circuit arrangement for the de vice.

T he device which I have shown for the purpose of illustration includes a plurality of starting switches 1, 2, 3 and 4:, and circuit breakers. 5 and 6. While the starting device illustrated is of the multiple switch type, it should be understood that my invention is not limited to any particular form of starting device. 'Furthermore, while I have shown two single pole: circuit breakers, it should be understood that I might substitute a double pole circuit breaker in lieu thereof.

I shall first describe the multiple switch starting device illustrated. This device is of substantially the same construction as that disclosed in Patent No. 959,910, granted to me on May 31, 1910. The structure of this device is clearly disclosed in my copending application mentioned, and I shall,' therefore, only briefly describe the I herein.

The several switches are of substantially the same construction. Each switch comprises a contact member 10, fu'lcrumed on a pin 11, carried by a supporting bracket '12. The brackets 12 may be secured in any suitable manner to a supporting panel 13. The contact member carries a laminated main contact 14 and a piveted arcing contact 15. T he laminated contact is adapted to eieotrically connect a stationary contact 16 with a contact strip 17, while the arcing contact is adapted to engage a stationary carbon contact 18. The contact member is adapted I to be actuated by an operating lever 19 connect'ed thereto in the following manner. The lever 19 is fulcrumed to a lug 20 on the contact member 10 and is provided with projecting lug 21, to which a pair of links 22 are fulcrumed at one end. The opposite ends of the links are fulcrumed to the supporting bracket 12. This arrangement provides a toggle connection hetween each contact member and its operating lever, whe'reb when. the lever is thrown inwardly, the contact member is thrown into engagement with its stationary contacts. With the arrangement illustrated, each of the switches has a tendency to move into open position, and I have, therefore, provided latches 23,, best illustrated in Fig/2, tor holdin Patented May a, ra l.

same

he U several switches in closed position. fiach ing a suitable spring latch is tulcrumed'on the supporting pin. 11 of its corresponding switch and is adapted to cnga ge a lug 24: projecting from the operating lever ot its corresponding switch to hold the same in closed position. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the latches lock the switches in closed position. The latch 23 and lug 2st, illustrated in this figure, belong to switch 1, which has becn omitted to better illustrate the manner in which the latches and lugs function. The latches 23 normally tend to disengage the lugs 24, and l have, therefore, provided on each of the operating levers lug 25 adapt ed to engage the latch of the next preceding switch to move and retain the same in. holding position. "Vith this arrangement, each switch, when closed, holds a preceding switch closed, thereby enabling the several switches to be closed by a handover-l1and movement. Furthermore, the latches and lugs before mentioned coiiperate to insure closure of the several switches in n definite sequence as is clearly set forth in mycopending application above mentioned. For holding the last switch of the sequence closed, I provide a retaining magnet 26 having a pivoted armature 27, provided with a hook portion 28 arranged to engage a pin 29 provided on the last switch of the sequence.

I shall now brieily describe the structure of one of the circuit breakers, bothof which are of the same construction. It should be understood, how ver, that my invention is not limited to any particular form of circuit breaker. The form of circuitbreaker illustrated comprises a contact member 30, fulcrumed on a pin Bl, carried by supporting bracket 32. The supporting bracket 32 may be secured in any suitable manner to the in sulating base 13. The contact member 30 carries a laminated main contact adapted to bridge a pair of stationary contacts 34 and 35, In addition to the main contact 33, the contact member carries a pivoted arcing contact 36, arranged to engage a carbon contact 37. The contact member 30 is adapted to be actuated by an opcratinglever 40. lhe lever at) is provided with an enlarged portion 41, tulcrux'ned to the contact member at 42. livotally connected to the portion 41 of the operating lever, at its upper and outer extremity, are a pair of links 'lhe links 4 3 are also pivotally connected to the supporting bracket 32. This arrangement is substantially the same as that of the starting switches, and provide a toggle connection between the contact member 30 and its operating lever. breaker tends to moveinto open position. This tendency may be increased by providtor, this purpose. lfhe circuit breakecis adapted to be maintained in closed position by means of a latch l l,

fulcrumcdpn the pin 31. The latch td has As constructed, the circuit a hook portion ada ted to engage a roller e1 5, projecting latera ly from the portion l of the operating lever 450. The hook portion of the latch let is so constructed that when the operating lever is thrown inwardly to set the circuit breaker, the roller 45 will raise the latch until the circuit breaker is closed, whereupon the latch will fall y gravity into holding position. Downward movement of the latch is limited by means of a lug 6 6 provided thereon to engage the underside of the supporting bracket 32. For

tripping the circuit breaker upon the occur-i rence of abnormal. conditions, I provlde an elcctromagnet 47, havlng suitable pole pieces 4-8. Pivotzilly connected to one of the p'ole pieces 48 is an armature 49 for the electromagnet, which is'adaptcd to be drawn upwardly by said magnet when the same responds to abnormal conditions. The pivot ed armature 49 is adapted, when raised, to engage a laterally extending projection 50 on the latch 44: of the circuit breaker to raise the same out of engagement with the roller 45 on the operating lever. This releases the circuit breaker, whereupon the same automatically movesto open position.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. t, an adjusting device 52 may be provided to vary the distance between the armature 4:9 of the magnet. and its forward pole piece o vary the calibration of the circuit breaker.

I l shall now describe the interlock between the circuit breaker 6 and switch it o'f-the starting device, it being understood that various other arrangements maybe provided "for accomplishing the same result. Fulcrumcd on the supporting pin 11 01" switch 1 is a dog 53, having a notched portion at the outer end thereof for engaging a pin 54, projccting laterally from the operating lever of switch 1. (rated in Fig. 3.

engage the pin 54 in open position; but. when i'n'cngagement with said pin, effectually preventsclosure of said switch. The dog 53 is yieldingly held in a position to engage the pin on the operating lcxcr of switch 1 by means ol a spring 55 interposed between the supporting panel 1 5 and an extension f5 provided on said dog lhe dog .73 is adapted to vItor withdrawinglhe dog 53'out of engage;

ment with the pin 54, I provide" a laterally tfiitlllllllg pin 57011 the operating lever of circuit breaker G, which, when said operating lever is thrown inwardly, in adapted to cngage'a curved extension 58 on the dog 53 to more the same downwardly. The portion of tho pin 57 which contacts with the dog 53 is preferably provided with an insulating covering 57. When the circuit breakcrtl is' Thisarrangement is best illusonly when'the switch 1 is in open position. the pin 57, carried thereon,

assumes the position illustrated in full-lines in Fig. 3, in which position it is in the'path of the extension 58 of the dog Consequently, whenthe operating leverof the circuit breaker is thrown inwardly, the pin 57 will engage the extension 58 of the dog 53, thereby forcing the same downwardly into the position illustrated in dotted lines. The dogis thus moved out of the path of the pin 54 on the operating lever of switch 1. thereby rendering said switch free to be closed.

It'has already been seen that the starting switches can only be closed in a definite sequence, and. consequently, long as the circuit breaker 6 remains open. none of the startir switches can be closed.

I shall now describe the circuit arrange- In ment for the device illustrated-in Fig. 5, this figure, the device above described is ar} ranged to control an electric motor prorided with an armature A and a shunt field windinn F. The starting derice is arranged. to

control a variable resistance R connected in serieswitlr the motor armature. Assuming that; current supplied from main lines (30 and U1. 'when it is desired to start the motor,- the circuit breakers 7) andlG should first be closed. "l his. -howe\er. does not close theniotor circuit, which is not closed until switch 1 of the starting device is operated. ()t course. as soon as the circuit breaker (3 is set. the several switches of the starting de- Upon closure of switch circuit is closed from main line 69- througlrthe circuit breaker. 5 and its tripping coil 47, by conductor 62, through the shunt ficltl winding F'of the motor, by conduclorGtl, through the retaining magnet 26 of the starting: device', by conductor (Hi to contact 16 of switch 1, thence-through the said switch to contact stri'p'l7, and by conductor CIT through the tripping coil of the circuit breaker (3. and through said circuit brca'ker to main line (31. This coin'pletesjthe \Vhcn the-last switch'has b'eeirclosml, the i ti'c'ld circuit ot the motor, I Also upon' closure ot'switchl -ircui't closed from conductor -62 through the. motor armature, by conductor lit to the contact 16 of switch 4, and

throudh'allot the resistance-l to switch 1, and thenccto main line (31 as alreadv traced;

lhc -n iotor. is thus started 'with all ot the 'startin'Q resistance, in c rcuit. Successii'e op tIWilltHiUf the starting switches gradually renmics' the i-esist'ance'lt from thc notor cir-.

retaining; magnet-- 26. which, in the present -inst-ance 'is connected 'in the fitltl' tlll't'llll; of

th motor, maintains said switch in closed position;

. {is has already been sct'forth, it is impossible toopcratelhe, multiple switch detice ll'lllll the" ci'rcuit' breaker. "'6 has been set. it an attempt be made to start the .uiot r withoutxfirst closing the circuit l'n'cakcrs. the operator would immediately be llliltlO aware ot' the-tact that the circuit between said ClI'Ctlll3 bi6RliGl' and the sw tcherthe sequence to necess tate closure breakers were open. On the other hand, without the interlock, the operator might close all of the starting switches before discovering that the circuit breakers were open and thus have to repeat the whole starting operation. Of course, if desired, a similar interlock to that above describedmig ht be interposed between the two circuit breakers, but, in practice, such additional interlock would rarely be required. i i Having thusdescribed my invention, What Idesire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- 1. In a controller for electric motors, in combination, a plurality of switches adapted to be operated to start the motor, a circuit breaker connected in the motor circuit, and means necessitating the closure of said circuit breaker prior to the operation of said switches. I

2. In a controller for electric 'motors, in

starting the motor, said-switches being interlocked to close in a-definite sequence, a .circuit breaker connectedin the 'motor circuit, and an' interlock between said circuit breaker and the first switch of the sequence to necessitate closure of the former-prior to the operation of the latter.

i combination, a starting device forth'e'inotor comprising a plurality'otmanually operated switches interlocked to; close. ina. definite niotor' circuit-{and means necessitating Y closure of the circuit breaker prior to the operation' ot the first switch of said device.

.4. In a controller for electric motors, in

nitesequence, acircuit breaker connected in the motor circuit, and a mechanical interlock rs't of the former prior to the operation ofthe latter- 4 I '5. lna controller'for electric motors, in

a circuitbreaker connected to each; su ply line, a starting-device tor the-motor b ased to olt position, aretaining magnet for-.nlaining adapted to be deiine g'iaed upon the trip-- 3. In a. controller forelectrie, motors, in

sequencqa circuit breaker connected in the combination, a plurality of switches for combination, a; plurality of manually ope'rated switches for starting the motor, said switches being interloked to'close in a deficombination, a supply circuit torthemotor,

iis

taining said device in running position, said,

ping of either of said circuit breakers, and means necessitating closure of one of said circuit breakers prior to the operation of said switches.

7. In a. controller for electric motors, in combination, a supply circuit for the motor,

a circuit breaker connected to each iine oi" the ctric mol'zors in ,'ice, Zt circuit ting chisurc oi to operation or breaker and means necessi said circuit breaker prior said starting dSJZCO.

9. in a controller for electric motors, in combination, a motor controlling switch, means tending to lock said switch against operation when the same is returned to in-,

itisl position, and a circuit breaker included in the motor circuit and adapted when set to cause said means to release said switch.

10. In :1. controller for electric motors, in contdiinetion, a multiple switch device, it circuit breaker and an element biased to move into the path of the first switch of said device when the same is opened to prevent closure thereof, said circuit breaker when closed being adapted to move said clement out of the path of said switch to permit closure thereof.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in. the presence of two wit lHOlVEiS E. BAR? Witnesses FRANK H. EIUBBARD S. iv. FITZGERALD. 

